2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[DeezNutz]

RF help. OK...

Who? Better be legit slug? Classic DM would be acquiring a ****ing scrub like Rios, while expending solid prospects to get him. Honestly, I'm not sure if I can handle that type of move. And I'm not saying that Lough is the long-term answer, either.

[Ceej]

Well, what other RFers are available? Realistically.

I'm assuming Pence would be too much.

I don't know who else is out there.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

Well, what other RFers are available? Realistically.

I'm assuming Pence would be too much.

I don't know who else is out there.

Maybe no one. And that's OK. Stay with Lough for the time being.

[Mother****erJones]

Are the Royals in on Utley? And RF what about Tabata from PIT?

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Maybe no one. And that's OK. Stay with Lough for the time being.

And focus on acquiring a 2B, yes?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

And focus on acquiring a 2B, yes?

3rd or 2nd baseman, yes.

[DeezNutz]

Yes. Holes at 3B and 2B must be addressed. I'm not officially giving up on Mouse, but he's going to have to start playing bigger to get upgraded in animal.

[TambaBerry]

Moose needs to be sent down, he sucks right now. He needs to know his job is not safe.

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by Mother****erJones

Are the Royals in on Utley? And RF what about Tabata from PIT?

i thought I had read somewhere, maybe even here, that CU and the Phils were working on a long term extension.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yes. Holes at 3B and 2B must be addressed. I'm not officially giving up on Mouse, but he's going to have to start playing bigger to get upgraded in animal.

I'm okay with addressing either one or two (both would be fantastic, but I'm afraid it will devour the farm system, or they'll be asking our best prospects) but I'm okay with addressing a 3rd baseman, ship Moose to Omaha/NW Arkansas, and give Tejada the job at 2nd base. Or addressing the 2nd baseman, move Getz to the bench, and have Tejada at 3rd. Tejada is still an improvement over Moose or Getz, one way or another, it's just somewhat criminal that he's not getting much PT that he should be getting, since he's been producing better than either of those two.

[Mother****erJones]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

i thought I had read somewhere, maybe even here, that CU and the Phils were working on a long term extension.

Ya I heard that just wasn't sure. Utley seems like a bad deal IMO because of a). his age b). injuries to go along with cost

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Coach

I'm okay with addressing either one or two (both would be fantastic, but I'm afraid it will devour the farm system, or they'll be asking our best prospects) but I'm okay with addressing a 3rd baseman, ship Moose to Omaha/NW Arkansas, and give Tejada the job at 2nd base. Or addressing the 2nd baseman, move Getz to the bench, and have Tejada at 3rd. Tejada is still an improvement over Moose or Getz, one way or another, it's just somewhat criminal that he's not getting much PT that he should be getting, since he's been producing better than either of those two.

I don't disagree with the logic here; Tejada is a more productive player. The problem is that I want any move in the next few days to benefit the club in the future, too, and the Royals are not giving up on Moose soon. That's why I'd prefer to get someone at 2B, and there are several possible targets.

In the interim, Tejada goes to third.

[Chiefspants]

Acquring Kendrick may be easier than we're thinking, a few people on the Royals board suggested shipping Guthrie and Escobar straight up for Aybar and Kendrick.

Make it happen, DM!

[Coach]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I don't disagree with the logic here; Tejada is a more productive player. The problem is that I want any move in the next few days to benefit the club in the future, too, and the Royals are not giving up on Moose soon. That's why I'd prefer to get someone at 2B, and there are several possible targets.

In the interim, Tejada goes to third.

Oh I agree. I just strongly believe that Moose really needs to go back to Omaha/Arkansas to rebuild his confidence and redo his plate approach/discipline, because his plate approach is just utter dog shit.

But looking up on the Baseball Reference, Moose is OPS'ing .621, and Getz is at .561....

Yet, on WAR, Getz is 0.2 and Moose is -0.3.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Acquring Kendrick may be easier than we're thinking, a few people on the Royals board suggested shipping Guthrie and Escobar straight up for Aybar and Kendrick.

Make it happen, DM!

Pass. While Escobar offense is terrible, I would not want to give up his defense. He has saved our asses many times on SS. He just simply does not need to be batting 2nd under any circumstances, but unfortunately, that's the dumbassery of the manager, not the player.